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Nola agrees to contract with Phillies

Nola agrees to contract with Phillies

Associated Press photo by MATT SLOCUM -- Aaron Nola spent a month in Single-A.Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., left, shakes hands with newly-drafted pitcher Aaron Nola during a news conference before a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Tuesday, June 10, 2014, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)Advocate staff photo by HILARY SCHEINUK -- Aaron Nola hugs LSU head coach Paul Mainieri after being selected as the seventh pick in the first round of the MLB draft by the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, June 5, 2014.

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Nola is being sent to the Phillies Advanced-A farm team, the Clearwater Threshers.

“I didn’t want to wait around too long to get back on the mound,” Aaron Nola said at the news conference.

The family planned to attend the Phillies’ home game Tuesday night against San Diego.

“We believe he’s a guy that has a chance of pitching pretty quickly here at Philadelphia,” Reuben Amaro Jr., the Phillies general manager, said at Tuesday’s news conference.

Nola’s three seasons at LSU were arguably the best of any pitcher in the program’s illustrious history.

The former Catholic High star capped his career with his best season yet in 2014. He finished with an ERA of 1.47, his lowest at LSU. He threw 116 innings, had 134 strikeouts and walked just 27.

Nola was 11-1 on the mound, and he finished his career recording wins in his past 17 home starts, a span that covers his sophomore and junior seasons.

Nola is in LSU’s record books in a host of spots. His career ERA of 2.09 is the fifth-best all-time, and he has the best ERA of any LSU pitcher who has thrown more than 300 innings.

For his career, Nola struck out 105 more batters than he allowed hits. He threw just four wild pitches in 332 innings and walked 52.

Broussard, Dodgers negotiating

LSU closer Joe Broussard and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in negotiations, the pitcher said Tuesday.

The Dodgers selected Broussard in the 15th round of the draft, several rounds later than the hard-throwing righty was projected. The Gretna native has not decided if he’ll forgo his senior season.

“I’m still trying to weigh my options,” Broussard said. “It’s still up in the air depending on how the rest of the negotiating goes.”

Broussard, a fourth-year junior, had eight saves in 2014 as LSU’s primary closer. He finished with a 1.05 ERA. He struck out 37 and walked 17. Broussard missed last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Foster to return

Outfielder Jared Foster will return for his senior season. Foster was a reserve player last season who made some game-changing plays in the outfield but struggled at the plate.

He was not drafted last week, a surprise. Foster, a former football player, possesses strong athletic abilities and a solid build. He finished last season batting .115 in 61 at-bats.

The team is still searching for a summer league for the Lake Charles native.

Rookie honors

Pitcher Jared Poché and outfielder Jake Fraley were named freshman All-Americans by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

It’s Poché’s second such honor this year. The Lutcher native was named a freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball as well. Poché finished his rookie season 9-3 with a 2.45 ERA.

Fraley, a native of Middletown, Delaware, batted .372 this season with seven doubles, one triple, three homers, 31 runs, eight steals and 29 RBI.

Summer ball lineup

Kyle Bouman will be the only healthy LSU pitcher who will be shut down this summer, coach Paul Mainieri said.

Most of the rest of the team will participate in summer ball, nine of them in the Cape Cod League. That includes Poché, who will get four five-inning starts in Harwish, Mainieri said.